Portable multimedia device (PMD) designs have, over the years, continually evolved into highly-complex, tightly-integrated, and fully-featured products such as smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other devices. Due to the complexity of PMDs, the manufacturers of such devices typically purchase components from various suppliers who, in turn, may purchase subcomponents from other suppliers, and so forth. As a result, many components are often modularized or standardized, e.g., semiconductor chip packages, display screen modules, touch screen modules, connectors, cabling, etc., allowing the PMD manufacturer a wide degree of flexibility in component selection and feature choice. The PMD manufacturer must then arrange these components and subcomponents according to various constraints, such as overall device size, weight, ergonomic considerations, balance, etc.
Such arrangement of components and subcomponents traditionally relies on providing an overall structural support framework that is, unlike many of the components or subcomponents that provide electrical functionality, purpose-built for only one PMD design or a family of similar PMD designs. Such structural support frameworks typically include a component referred to in the industry as a “midframe.” Such structural support frameworks may also, or alternatively, include components such as an outer housing or casing, which may take a variety of forms, including a front/back cover that are snapped, screwed, glued, or otherwise held together or to a midframe. In some instances, the midframe may be an entirely or substantially internal component, although in other instances portions of the midframe may form part or a substantial part of the exterior of the device. These primarily structural components are often quite intricate and must often be manufactured ex situ from the PMD assembly process and to exacting tolerances due to the compactness desired in PMDs. This may increase the manufacturing cost of such components.